Rendering 3-dimensional (3-D) graphics on a 2-dimensional plane such as a computer monitor screen has been an emerging technology marked with many advances. For example, with the use of special 3-D cards and adapters, a 3-dimensional object may be created from dimensional information provided of the form of input to a computer system running appropriate software. After calculating input data, the computer system renders a simulated 3-D image on it's 2-dimensional screen. A viewer may use special goggles to view 3-D images on a computer screen or other two-dimensional apparatus such as on a movie screen.
In another aspect of the art, hologram techniques are also used to produce 3-D effects on plastic cards and the like. Such holograms are familiar to many as embossed on such as credit cards. This sort of hologram is called a white-light-interference hologram, and is created through a reflective surface having a relatively complicated topology that reflects white light in a manner to produce interference patterns that the human eye sees as a 3-D image.
This technique is commonly practiced with the use of a stamping operation onto plastic surfaces, such as with holographic baseball cards and the like.
Unfortunately, 3-D image media such as white light holograms cannot be printed by conventional computer techniques or easily acquired. What is clearly needed is a method and apparatus that will allow 3-dimensional renderings of real photographed objects to be printed much the same as two-dimensional images are printed, using such as ink-jet technology. In the descriptions which follow a new collection and rendering technology is taught in enabling detail wherein, with the use of a computer station, an image may be captured with a digital camera and rendered by a special printer as white light interference hologram